


Stay

by mormoriarty



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins, catching fire - Fandom, cunnilingus - Fandom, oral sex - Fandom
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-12-03
Updated: 2017-04-14
Packaged: 2018-01-03 07:58:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 4,590
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1067987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mormoriarty/pseuds/mormoriarty
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was inappropriate and creepy; it must have been, to fantasize about her when she was right there with me, in her room, in her bed, when she trusted me to protect her. But I couldn't help it, could I?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place during Catching Fire, on the train during the Victory Tour- so, spoilers for first two books, obviously :)

_“Can you stay with me tonight? Please?”_

Katniss’s words from earlier echoed in my mind as I watched her breathing begin to even. Lying in her bed, her head was pillowed against my chest and she was sleeping soundly, finally having found serenity with me here. My arm was around her, and I stroked her hair, carefully and gently so I wouldn’t wake her.

I had been woken by her screams, sudden shrieks over the white noise of the train gears, and rushed over to her compartment after wrapping a bathrobe around myself- If it wasn’t winter, I slept in only a pair of boxers (I swear, working next to ovens all my life had permanently altered my body temperature or something). She’d been near tears, holding her head in her hands as I tried to calm her down.

I slouched down against the headboard, making myself comfortable amongst the pillows. Katniss stirred in her sleep, wriggling against my chest. I laughed softly and placed a kiss on her forehead, my eyelids soon starting to feel heavy.

 

After that night, we never slept apart again. Even if we had fought or someone had said something stupid that day, we managed to make up just so that neither of us would have to fend off night terrors alone. I woke her from nightmares and held her and she was there when I had mine. And while it was a good arrangement, I still had other dreams.

I was- okay, I wasn’t really _a_ _normal teenage boy._ (And who could be, after going through the Games?) But I suppose that my body still responded as if I was one. You catch my drift?

And Katniss, with her soft hair and beautiful body, wasn’t exactly helping keep my mind where it should have been. It was inappropriate and creepy; it must have been, to fantasize about her when she was right there with me, in her room, _in her bed_ , when she trusted me to protect her. But I couldn’t help it, could I?

On good nights, I wouldn’t feel bad thinking about how good she felt pressed up against me. How the gentle curve of her eyelashes was like the swell of her breasts. How she was nothing delicate by day and yet somehow looked like an angel asleep. I was worried, however, that I would wake up hard- and she would notice. Or worse, wake up with stained sheets and utter mortification.

So, uh, I tried to rub one out in the shower as often as possible before coming to bed.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I swear I just wanted a regular shower, nothing with pulsing perfume jets or alternating neon light shows. Was that too much to ask for? (And I strongly hoped it wouldn't also shoot out rose-scented foam like last time.)

After dinner, I retreated to my compartment, deciding to work on a painting.

Effie had said we could ask for anything we wanted to keep us busy, and I had asked Darius if he could provide me with paints, and I was certainly thankful for that. Something had to be done to keep my mind off the fact that we were on this damn train for the Victory Tour. Half the time I couldn’t decide whether to be sad or just angry. It was so much easier to just let myself succumb to anger, though; anger at the Peacekeepers, anger at how Effie pretended stupid things were important, anger towards the Capitol, of course.

I tried to paint other things beside my memories of the Arena and settled for landscapes and scenes, turning the empty white boards into sunsets that we had seen from the roof of the train and the woods Katniss seemed to live among back in Twelve.

 

Katniss followed me back to my room, lounging on my bed and playing with her hair as she watched me swirl colors together and paint in long strokes against the canvas. She was humming and the carefreeness of the moment made me happy.

“Is that your favorite color?” she asked, pointing out the mellow orange that split the painted horizon with sunlight. I nodded, and I smiled because she remembered.

 

Before long, it was late and we got ready for bed, following the usual and yet unspoken routine. We headed off to our respective bathrooms to shower and prepare for bed. I would walk over to Katniss’s room afterwards. For some reason, we’d never sleep together in my room.

 

I pressed a few buttons and fiddled randomly with the controls on the touchpad outside the glass shower before stripping off. I stepped into the warm steam and taken unaware, I sputtered at the sudden water in my face as the jets on the walls suddenly shot out streams of hot water from all directions. I swear I just wanted a regular shower, nothing with pulsing perfume jets or alternating neon light shows. Was that too much to ask for? (And I strongly hoped it wouldn’t also shoot out rose-scented foam like last time.)

Another button on the wall when pushed, gave you options of shower gel, body wash, shampoo, and conditioner. Especially after going back to District 12, it had taken me some time to get used to the sheer ridiculous amenities there were here, even though it _was_ just a train.  I chose one at random, cupping my palm underneath to collect the scented soap, rubbing my hands together to create bubbles. I slathered the foam all over, keeping in mind that Katniss was probably doing the same while taking her shower (That wasn’t supposed to sound as creepy as I made it out to be). I was- I was just thinking about her hands on her owns body, rubbing soap on her arms and cupping her breasts and washing between her legs- and instantly, I was hard.

And, because I knew I should get this over with (And when did jerking off become “ _getting this over with_ ” to a teenage boy?) so as not to have needs arise later (no pun intended), I let my mind wander even more, trying to conjure up a fantasy.

 

I was a virgin, but I also was a teenage boy with _two_ older brothers. _And_ I had heard many stories from Rye and Leven bragging to each other the years of about their sexual conquests and how Mellark men were famously skilled at eating pussy. Leven, being the eldest, had seemed to take it onto himself to be some sort of teacher for me, recounting every encounter he ever had with sex  and trying to push me towards Delly, who had never been anything more than a friend. Well, I say that, but still, we were each other’s first kiss. I suppose it counted as a practice one. I don’t think either of us had feelings for each other, and being the friends that we were, we steadfastly agreed to never mention it again.

 

One of Leven’s stories came back to me. I could never tell if he had made them up or if they were true, after all, I never saw even _half_ the girls he said that he was bringing home and “having his wicked way” with.

But he always talked about bringing girls to the slag heap or having them behind the school and getting them off with just his mouth and his hand to help smother their moans. _“Mellark men, we’re guaranteed being good at two things- baking bread and eating girls out,”_ he used to always say.

Maybe one of these sleepless nights I could be as smooth as Leven.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *heads-up* real live sex (wanking) next chapter


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I could imagine her agreeing to it, agreeing to have me, her desire reflected in her face, at least in my mind’s eye.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> actual sexy times begins now
> 
> you have been warned

I slicked my hand up with a bit of conditioner that was left over, though it was unnecessary with how much I was leaking already. I stroked myself quickly, letting the fantasy unfold. I tried and I could imagine her agreeing to it, agreeing to have me, her desire reflected in her face, at least in my mind’s eye.

 

Katniss lifts up her silky nightgown, baring herself to me in only her underwear- fancy Capitol-style ones that were barely just scraps of lace resting against her hipbones and rib cage. I undo her bra, somehow expertly tugging apart the clasps as if I’ve done it before. And she’s pulling me forward, saying something about how I’m overdressed and stripping off my shirt, her hands lingering where they are pressed against my chest, her fingers going down to play at the waistband of my boxers. I bend down to kiss her, our lips meeting softly and our bare chests pressing together at last. The feeling of her, warm and soft and sweet beneath me is glorious- I won’t call it anything else. She looks at my boxers, an unasked question in trying to get me to take them off, but I insist on touching her first.

I kiss her and tease her, touching her everywhere but where she wants it, until she’s begging me, dragging my hands to her breasts. And it is a sight, because she’s so damn stubborn all the time but here she is now, laid out before me so wantonly.

I lean down to take a pert nipple into my mouth, licking it and sucking it and biting it. She _moans_ , and it sends a shiver down my spine and makes my cock twitch. I do the same with the other breast, feathering touches around it until her eyes are clenched closed. One hand goes down to cup her mound and _oh god_ , she’s absolutely _dripping._ And _damn_ if that doesn’t make me want to take her right this moment.

My mouth leaves her breasts and she opens her eyes. A little whimper escapes her mouth at the loss of contact, but I’ve already moved. She looks down at me from where my head is between her legs, and the sheer _want_ there is in her eyes makes me suddenly plunge my tongue into her. I lap at her wetness, groaning at the sweet taste of her and I finally understand why Leven enjoyed this so much. Her fingers weave into my hair and her nails scratch against my scalp and it feels so good that my senses are overwhelming me. She smells divine and I use the flat of my tongue to lick long strokes up and down her folds, my nose brushing her clit every time. She cries out, clenching her hands in my hair until it’s almost painful. She tries to warn me, but I can already see her thigh muscles straining and her breathing become ragged and finally, she falls over the edge, reaching her climax and shrieking so loudly that I’m sure the whole train will know that we don’t only _sleep_ together.

 

I muffled my own moan as I climaxed, biting into the flesh between my thumb and forefinger. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying desperately to just bask in the afterglow rather than be confused over the fact that making Katniss climax was what made me come, despite her not having touched me at all in the fantasy. I sighed, absent-mindedly rinsing off the suds from my hair and shutting off the shower. I towelled off and got dressed slowly, somewhat dreading having to go over and sleep next to the girl that I had just fantasized over. It was definitely not the first time thinking about her like this, but those dreams had been about her touching me, sucking me off, or taking me inside her- Katniss making _me_ come was what would turn me on before. But the fact that the tables seemed to have turned was confusing me a little, and now I couldn’t stop thinking about what she would look like squirming under my tongue.

I groaned just at the thought of it, still drying off my hair. With my hands placed on the edge of the counter, I leaned forward and looked at myself in the mirror. Just looked.

Did Katniss find me attractive? Handsome? Was I too talkative? Annoying? Awkward? _Confused about how to feel?_

That last one was definitely true. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She was curled up in bed with something clutched in her hand, rubbing her thumb across it repeatedly. Her mockingjay pin.

I tried to turn my thoughts to something other than _oh god eating Katniss out_ _hnggg_ and started a very strange inner monologue as I got dressed in a t-shirt and lounge pants.

 

I kind of wished Leven was here so that I could, you know, ask him about how to proceed. Was I supposed to be really forward and somehow shift the topic from “platonically” sleeping to us having…sex? Was I supposed to be subtle and drop hints? And _how the_ _hell_ was someone supposed to drop hints about that sort of thing? I could barely even say it _in my mind_ , how was I supposed to talk out loud _to her_ and say that it was something I really wanted to do?

 

 _I want--_ I couldn’t say it, even to myself. _I really want to--_

I sighed.

 

God, what would she taste like? I’d have nothing to compare to, of course, but I still wondered. _What would she look like, coming apart from the feel of my tongue and my mouth? Begging me to let her come?_

 

I certainly couldn’t walk into her room with that question on my mind. I tried to think of anything else, anything. I thought back to my painting, a peaceful sunset across the water. Wide strokes of deep red and orange. Katniss twirling her hair as she watched me— _goddamn it!_

 

I gave up, and walked down the corridor to Katniss’s compartment. I knocked on the door, and I could hear a muffled, “Come in.”

 

 

She was curled up in bed with something clutched in her hand, rubbing her thumb across it repeatedly. Her mockingjay pin.

 

“Hey,” I greeted her softly. She looked up, her hair down and wavy from being in its usual braid. Soft waves framed her face and draped over her bare shoulders. She looked small and delicate and beautiful. Katniss looked like she was going to say something, but then she stopped herself, eyes going back to the small golden pin in her hands. “What’s wrong?” I asked; going and sitting down next to her on the bed. I placed my hand on her shoulder, and she leaned into my touch, burying her head in the crook of my neck. She stayed that way for a while, and we sat quietly.

 

I waited until she was ready to talk. “I was…just thinking about what happened today…at the speech,” Katniss whispered, her words muffled against my neck. At our Victory appearance today, a show of rebellion had started in Nine. It hadn’t happened in all the districts, and some weren’t so bad. But they all seemed to start the same way- with the simple gesture everyone from Twelve knew as a sign of respect; three fingers kissed and then raised.

 

One person, and then it would spread in a matter of seconds. _A domino effect._ And then they fell like dominoes; Peacekeepers taking them out one by one, killing and injuring left and right. Katniss felt responsible, so did I, but there was nothing we could do about it, and we both knew that. So I said just about the stupidest and most untrue thing in hopes that it would comfort at least one of us: “It’s not your fault.”

 

She sighed. It was, I suppose, partially. Katniss _was_ the symbol the people had sat on a pedestal. She _was_ the one who had raised the gesture after Rue’s death in the Games. She _was_ the reason, no matter how much she tried to deny it. But people getting killed for the rebellion she had unwittingly started? It wasn’t her fault, and yet she couldn’t stop blaming herself.

 

“Come on. You know it isn’t actually--”

 

She interrupted me. “You smell good. Like cinnamon. And bread.”

 

And just like that, the dark mood was broken.

 

I laughed. “I think the smell of bread comes out of my pores. Must be the flour in my bloodstream,” I joked, trying to make her smile after all of this heaviness she was feeling.

 

Katniss giggled (actually _giggled!)_ and that made me laugh even harder. She looked up at me. The lights were dimmed but it was enough to shine on her face and the waves of her hair. It was quiet after her laughing had subsided. Her face was really close to mine and all I could focus on were the little freckles on the bridge of her nose and how her eyes looked so bright and happy at that moment. Her lips, soft and pillowy like I knew they were, seemed to beckon me. We both leaned in, as if subconsciously, like by the pull of a magnetic force, until we were almost touching.

 

“Kat--”

 

“Hush,” she said, leaning forward and stealing away my breath with a kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the super long wait! Trying to write the next chapters before I post anything...I hope someone's still out there reading this...


	5. Chapter 5

This was the first kiss between us that I never had any doubts about. Of course, I was conflicted about our very first kiss in the cave. But after the Games, every action seemed like it was just for show and I was never exactly sure where I stood with Katniss. Or Haymitch. Or Gale. Or anyone really. But right now, there were no cameras (well, I certainly _ hoped _ there weren’t any); there was no audience, no script, nothing. The moment was all  _ us _ . Just us. My entire being caught up in the overwhelming feeling that was just... _ Katniss _ .

She kissed me deeply, her tongue coming out to trace my bottom lip. I let her in, and the feeling was exhilarating, not having to put on a performance for anyone, not  having to reassure the public that their star-crossed sweethearts weren’t on the rocks, to simply  _ feel.  _

Catching me by surprise, she practically jumped into my lap, effectively tipping me over so that I was on my back laying on the bed. Katniss kissed me with a zeal that was entirely new; there had been nothing initiated when we had slept together, everything kept completely chaste even if my thoughts had begun to wander, but with no doubts this time around, I plunged into the kiss headfirst, the electric touch of our tongues sending shivery reverberations across my skin. Our teeth clacked together, and she giggled. 

“Sorry,” I breathed, against her lips. I smiled. I pulled her against me. I felt like I just couldn’t get close enough. I didn’t want to hurt her, of course, but it was overwhelming and yet I wanted so much more at the same time. I couldn’t get over the fact that kissing her was so different compared to kissing Delly. Delly was...like a sister to me, and  _ Katniss _ ...I swear I probably kissed her like I was a drowning man gasping for air, so desperate for her lips against mine. (It probably wasn’t particularly attractive, but at the moment, I didn’t particularly care.)

Much as I didn’t want to stop kissing, my body, of course, responded just as enthusiastically. She was basically on top of me, having pushed me down earlier, and there was virtually no way I could hide the fact that I was hard. I was worried as to how Katniss would respond to it. I wouldn’t force her to do anything she was uncomfortable with, of course, but like I said, there was going to be no way of hiding it in these loose pants I was wearing. And I assumed she was, you know, a virgin, based on the way she acted. Pure and kind of naïve. She had blushed a lot when we had to talk about our relationship on camera. It was adorable sometimes, so incongruous with her hardy hunter image.

But she surprised me. Katniss pushed up right against me and, feeling my erection against her thigh, moaned in response.

_ Oh god.  _ I had not been expecting that.

 

We both tried to speak at once.

“Oh--”

“I’m sorry--”

“I--”

“I won’t push you, Katniss. It’s okay. We don’t have to--“

“I want to, Peeta. I want  _ you _ .”

Her acceptance sparked something in me, it was so perfect. I kissed her again, once on the lips and once on her forehead.  _ Okay. _ I wanted to laugh. I was in this crazy place of disbelief that this was happening and honestly, I hoped it wasn’t a dream. So I finally let go, rutting slightly against her as she moaned above me. She rolled off of me to strip off my t-shirt, throwing it somewhere on the floor. Katniss was wearing a nightgown, and she smiled at me, her hands taking mine and bringing them to the hem of her dress. I was worried that my hands would be cold or clammy or sweaty or something. But I pulled it off gently, smoothing my hands down her sides as she lay down next to me in only a simple dove grey bra and matching panties. I kissed her again, pulling away only to trail kisses against the delicate column of her neck and down to her collarbones. She squirmed, laughing as my fingers brushed up against her ribs, and I smiled, reversing our positions so that I leaned back against the pillows and she was above me. It was clear that she was okay with whatever direction we were heading in, but she was suddenly timid as her fingers reached for the drawstring of my pajama pants.

“Go ahead,” I said, trying to keep my voice level and calm, wanting her to be the one to take the first step forward.


	6. Chapter 6

Something changed in her. She shook herself and her attitude seemed to shift. With all timidness thrown aside, she smirked playfully, tugging the drawstring knot undone. She tried to slip off my pajama bottoms, but they got a little tangled around my ankles and we laughed as I almost fell off the bed trying to wiggle them off. Katniss finally peeled the pants off successfully, leaving me laying back on the bed in just my boxer briefs, clearly hard. I tried to suppress a gasp as her fingers lightly touched my dick.

“Can I?” she asked, and I nodded, almost holding my breath as her hands went to my hips. Katniss hooked her fingers in the waistband. I lifted my legs up from the bed and slowly, she pulled the fabric down until my dick was completely revealed. I sat in silence, feeling completely insecure. She wouldn’t say it was too small or something, would she? I hoped, desperately hoped, that I was on the good side of average, at least. I mean, I had two brothers who thought nudity was nothing- Leven practically strode around the house naked...I think I probably measured up, but I still didn’t know what to think...did it curve weirdly? Was it a weird color? Was it horribly deformed? She was too quiet and I didn’t know what to make of it, my worried thoughts filling in the silence for me.

Unexpectedly, she bent down and kissed the head of my cock softly, making my hips involuntarily thrust forward. She smiled up at me, another half-hidden smirk.

“Your turn,” I said, and Katniss turned to show me how her bra unclasped in the back. Rye used to say there was something mystical about how bras seemed like torture devices but looked like a fabric version of icing on the cake. Leven had complained about how they took  _ forever  _ to figure out how to take off. But here I was, totally cool and calm and being  _ shown _ how to do it. Totally pro.

Her breasts popped free from the bra, and I stared. Her nipples were pebbled and dusky against her creamy olive skin. She went to cover herself up when she saw me looking, crossing her arms in front of her breasts and trying to turn away from me, but I stopped her gently. “No, let me see you,” I said, tipping her chin up so that she would look at me. I kissed the corner of her mouth. “You’re so beautiful,” I whispered. And I meant it.

Katniss blushed and looked away, wrapping her arms around herself and looking so small and vulnerable that I felt bad.

“If you don’t want this-” I started.

“I do, I’m just-” She stopped. She wouldn’t look me in the eyes.

“Scared?”

Katniss shook her head. “No, more worried.”

“About what?” I asked. I mean, I was worried too, but was it about the same thing?

“That I’ll do something wrong. That you won’t like me, or that I won’t be good enough for you.”

“Won’t be good enough?” I cupped her chin in my hand and bent down to kiss her softly. “There’s nothing to worry about. I’ve never been with anyone else.”

“Me either,” she said quietly, looking down. 

“And I’ve thought about you for a long time. I think you know that.”

“I’m sorry,” she said, and I could tell she was remembering how I had looked when she had confessed that her affection during our first Games had been for show. Deep down, I hoped she had felt something then, though. Even if the kiss was feigned. 

“No, you did what you had to.” I took her hand and kissed the back of it lightly. She still looked sad and closed off. “But maybe you can make it up to me now, show me that it’s real?”

Katniss smiled, slowly opening up to me again, and leaned in to kiss me, her confidence slowly returning, that spark of playfulness making itself known again with that quasi-challenge. 

She bent down to kiss my neck as I lay back, peppering my throat with kisses and coming back up to nibble on my earlobe. It felt unexpectedly good, and my body seemed intent on making sure Katniss knew it, my hands tangling in her hair and my throat making these weird soft sighing noises that I wouldn't have known came from me and well, my erection was probably poking her in the stomach. She was a warm and solid weight against me, and I breathed in her smell of cedarwood and citrus, and there was a hint of something else, a flowery lavender soap. My mind flashed back to what I had thought about in the shower, amidst all of the soap gels and bubble whatevers, and I was caught in between an intense desire and an instinct to freeze up. Her skin was so soft and also weirdly hairless; it must have been all the crazy stuff the stylists did to her. I wondered if they had stripped her hair down there, too. Only one way to find out, I guess. My hand slid down to her waist. She paused in her kisses, suddenly tense. 

"We don't have to--" I tried again.

She suddenly got up, shimmying out of her underwear. She closed her eyes and bared herself to me completely. I could see scars, silvery with age, and tiny freckles on her shoulders. Miles of that creamy olive skin and a small patch of dark hair. 

I got up from the bed. Her eyes were still clenched shut, her arms wrapped around herself. She trembled as I came closer, scared of my words. Instead, I kissed her forehead, leading her back to the bed. "You're lovely," I whispered, close to her collarbone, like I would finally make her believe it for herself if I could get the very words to sink into her skin. She murmured something, but I didn't hear it until I kissed the corner of her jawline. 

"Thank you," she said softly, her voice quiet but strong. She opened her eyes, reaching for me again and kissing me. 


End file.
